Lucas returned straight to his work after escorting Irene.
On her way back to the palace, an inexplicable feeling crept into her heart—an eerie sense that unseen eyes were trailing her. She paused for a moment, turning her head to check, but saw nothing except a few servants absorbed in their duties, as if nothing were amiss. She gave a faint shake of her head, brushing off the sensation that lingered heavily on her chest, and continued walking.
At dinner, the king was absent. Irene sat at the table with Violet and Elizabeth, exchanging small talk about the approaching Christmas. The conversation was brief but warm enough to break the stillness of the meal. Afterwards, Irene requested permission to visit the royal library in the palace the following day. Elizabeth welcomed the idea with a gentle smile and told her she had prepared a private carriage for her since her arrival, but had been waiting for the right moment to offer it. Irene thanked her politely, and a genuine glimmer of gratitude shone in her eyes.
The next evening, Irene headed straight to the royal library, accompanied by Sally. As they passed through the gates of the royal palace, Sally halted for a moment, her eyes widening in pure astonishment; the palace was grand and towering, its corridors vast, unlike the imposing architecture of the Eiscard Palace, yet equally rich and opulent.
A guard led her inside, where the head butler greeted her warmly and told her that she was now part of this palace as well. Irene bowed politely, and a smile of admiration for her humility curved the man's lips before he guided her toward the library.
The library was spacious, its walls overflowing with shelves crammed with books, their vivid colors breathing life into the place, unlike the solemn, shadowy feel of the Eiscard library. The head butler began recounting glimpses of the library's history, then signaled to one of the guards to fetch the advisor.
A few minutes later, a man in his mid-forties entered with confident strides and a formal bow.
"I am Edward Bain, the royal library's special advisor for Valerian," he said. "It is a great honor to meet you, Princess, and I hope to live up to your expectations and provide what may benefit you."
Irene returned the bow lightly and said in a calm voice, "Please, take care of me."
The head butler left, and Irene drew a paper from her bag—a list of books she wished to obtain—and handed it to the advisor. He read it carefully, then said, "They are somewhat old titles, but I will search for them immediately and try to find them as quickly as possible. In the meantime, you may rest here."
Irene agreed and began strolling between the shelves, with Sally following in quiet steps. Sally whispered, "My lady, what if he cannot find all those books?"
Irene replied, her fingers brushing along the spines of some volumes, "I will look for other clues. The books would make strong evidence, but since we'll be heading south soon, this is an irreplaceable opportunity to gather even stronger proof."
About two hours later, the advisor returned carrying most of the requested books, though he informed her that some were missing and might take longer to locate. Although she felt a twinge of dissatisfaction at the absence of certain titles, what she had received was a rare treasure found only here. She thanked the advisor with a quiet smile and promised to visit again, wishing that the remaining books would be found by then.
The advisor ordered one of the guards to carry the books to Irene's carriage.
Irene stepped out into the front garden, the cool breeze playing with the edges of her dress, curious gazes following her from all around. But then a voice called out from behind her, strong and clear:
"Princess!"
She turned to find Crown Prince Bastian standing nearby. Surprise flickered across her face as she said,
"Oh… Your Highness, how are you?"
He smiled faintly and replied, "I'm well… better, in fact, now that I've seen you."
Then he continued, "Did you come to visit the library as you mentioned that day?"
She nodded. "Yes, that's right."
He took a step closer. "I'm sad you didn't tell me yesterday. You left early… earlier than I expected." His smile this time carried something unsettling—something that made Irene's heart tighten as she recalled Lucas's warning to stay away from him.
With a forced smile, she said, "I apologize if I made Your Highness feel that way, but I know how busy you are… and as I told you before, I've never troubled you with any request."
Sally noticed a rare tension clouding her lady's features.
Bastian said, "Impossible for me to be troubled by you. On the contrary, I'd be happy to grant any request… and I would fulfill it immediately, even if it were difficult."
Inside, Irene scolded herself for not asking the advisor to send the books directly to her instead of waiting, which would have spared her this awkward encounter. She then said, "I appreciate your kindness… But now I must go. The sun is about to set, and I must have dinner with my family—my husband would worry if I were late."
Bastian's smile vanished at the mention of Lucas, and at that moment, Sally felt her heart constrict under his gaze. She stepped forward slightly and said, "Yes, then let's go, my lady."
But Bastian suddenly said, "Wait!"
Then, regaining his smile, he added, "This is your first time visiting the royal palace… and I will not allow you to leave without showing you around. You're part of the royal family now, aren't you, Princess?"
She answered with a faint smile, "Yes… but as I said, I'm already late. I'll come back soon and ask the head butler to show me around."
He cut in, "Your maid can return and tell them you'll be a little late. My uncle won't mind. The palace is close, and I'll accompany you myself. Consider it my first official request to you, Princess."
Irene thought it would be far too dangerous to be alone with him—both for her reputation and her safety—especially with all eyes on them at that moment.
She turned to Sally and said, "If you want me to stay, my maid will remain with me."
But Bastian said sharply, "There are private matters I wish to discuss with you regarding the mine… and her presence would not be comfortable for me. There is no need for her to stay."
He stepped toward Sally, his tone turning more severe: "Leave now."
Sally hesitated, looking at Irene with concern. "My lady…"
A faint tightening gripped Irene's chest—she feared for Sally—but she clenched her hand, trying to keep her composure, then told her, "Go, Sally… Don't worry, I'll return shortly. Tell Queen Elizabeth not to worry about me, that I'll just be taking a short tour of the palace, and I'll make sure to return before dinner."
Sally glanced at the crown prince, who had not taken his eyes off her, then he said in a low voice, "You're very brave… for a mere maid."
Sally stepped back and bowed. "As you command, Your Highness." Then she turned to Irene, "As you wish, my lady… Forgive me."
She walked away slowly, glancing back now and then, while the crown prince stood watching her until she disappeared from sight.
Inside, she was muttering to herself: Oh God… what's wrong with him? What is he trying to do? Oh God, please protect her.